Art of curing hides or skins



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ROBT. OLLIPHANT, OF ENTERPRISE, MISSISSIPPI.

ART OF cunme nrnns on SKINS.

No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. OLLIPHANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Enterprise, in the county of Clarke and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lthe Art of Curing Hides or Skins, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process of treating or tanning hides or skins for preserving the same, with or without the hair or fur, to a composition for use in this process, and to a process of producing this composition.

Acid iron earth is in the nature of a soft rock, which in its normal condition cannot be shoveled, but may be worked with a pick, and is ordinarily lum y. This material is distributed. over the State of Mississippi, Alabama and other southern States. This acid iron earth consists principally of marcasite, and when the term acid iron earth is referred to hereinafter in the specification and claims, it is used as signifying such a compound consisting principally of marcasite.

I have discovered that this acid iron earth, when rotted and leached with water, produces a fluid or liquid mass, having the properties of curing or tanning hides or skins.

In the practice of my process, the acid iron earth which may be in lumps, is placed in a hopper or container, preferably having a tapered or conical bottom, decreasing in diameter downwardly, for providing a contracted outlet. This acid iron earth is rendered wet on top by sprinkling with water. After being thoroughly wet for about twelve hours, the acid iron earth begins to crumble or rot. Within four or five days the entire mass becomes a sour mass, having about the consistency of thick mortar, and begins to drip or leach. This liquid from the mass is collected in a suitable receptacle. The volume of water required for the rottin or leaching will vary with the strength 0 the solution desired, and also with the temperature or weather conditions, either cold,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed April 6, 1920. Serial No. 371,716.

warm, wet or dry. The action is effected more readily in dry warm weather.

After the leaching process commences, the same may be continued until practically all of the acid iron earth is converted into the li uid form.

Ihe skins or hides, with or without the hair, are submerged in the liquid thus obtained, and allowed to remain in the same from three to five days. When thus treated it will be found that these skins or hides are properly cured. The fiber of the skin or hide becomes contracted, softened, strengthened and preserved. I have also found that fur and s in with the hair thereon may be preserved by this liquid mass, without injury to the hair or fur, and that the hair'or fur is made firmer and brighter. It is not necessary to wash the skins or hides after this treatment, unless it is desired to remove the hair from the same by treatment with lime or alkali.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same,

and that various changes may be resorted to in the order of the steps of the process, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The herein-described process of treating hides, which consists in submerging the hide in an aqueous solution containing the leached constituents of acid iron earth.

2. A composition foruse in treating hides or skins to preserve them, comprislng an aqueous solution of the water soluble constituents of rotted acid iron earth.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ROBT. OLLIPHANT.

Witnesses L. H. OLLIPHANT, M. C. OLLIPHANT. 

